This dataset version contains de facto anonymized data the Data Archive provides for download through the GESIS data catalog. To prevent the identification of single respondents, specific information is aggregated into coarse categories providing users with less detailed information on respondent’s residence and occupation.

Please note: weight variable will only be available in the coming EVS 2017 releases.

Representative single stage or multi-stage sampling of the adult population of the country 18years old and older was used for the EVS 2018. The sample size was set as effective sample size: 1200 for countries with a population over 2 million, 1000 for countries with a population less than 2 million. 8 countries out of 16 deviated from the guidelines and planned with an effective sample size below the set threshold. Germany, Netherlands, Iceland, and Switzerland, due to the mixed mode design, allocated only part (50% or more) of the effective sample size to the interviewer-administered mode.

Sample design and other relevant information about sampling were reviewed by the EVS-Methodology Group (EVS-MG) and approved prior to contracting of fieldwork agency or starting of data collection. In case of on-field sampling EVS-MG proposed necessary protocols for documentation of the probabilities of selection of each respondent.

The sampling was documented using the Sampling Design Form (SDF) delivered by the national teams (see the EVS2017 Methodological Guidelines, Sampling). The SDF includes the description of the sampling frame and each sampling stage as well as the calculation of the planned gross and net sample size to achieve the required effective sample. Additionally, it includes the analytical description of the inclusion probabilities of the sampling design that are used to calculate design weights.

In all countries, fieldwork was conducted on the basis of detailed and uniform instructions prepared by the EVS advisory groups. The main mode in EVS 2017 is face to face (interviewer-administered). An alternative self-administered form was possible but as a parallel mixed mode, i.e. there was no choice for the respondent between modes: either s/he was assigned to face to face, either s/he was assigned to web or web/mail format. In all countries included in the first pre-release, the EVS questionnaire was administered as face-to-face interview (CAPI or/and PAPI).

The EVS 2017 Master Questionnaire was provided in English and each National Program Director had to ensure that the questionnaire was translated into all the languages spoken by 5% or more of the population in the country. A central team monitored the translation process by means of the Translation Management Tool (TMT), developed by CentERdata (Tilburg).